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The relationship between parental digital self-efficacy, preschoolers' electronic media use, and learning quality—variable-centered and person-center analysis.

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Title: The relationship between parental digital self-efficacy, preschoolers' electronic media use, and learning quality—variable-centered and person-center analysis.
Authors: Che, Hanbo1 (AUTHOR) chbdhr@163.com, Qian, Weihong1 (AUTHOR), Zhao, Yancen1,2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Frontiers in Education. 2026, p1-12. 12p.
Subject Terms: *Educational outcomes, Self-efficacy, Screen time, Cluster analysis (Statistics), Social cognitive theory
Abstract: Background: Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study investigated how parental digital self-efficacy relates to preschoolers' learning quality and whether children's electronic media use helps explain this association. Methods: Data were collected from 1,484 kindergarten children and their parents using the Parental Digital Self-Efficacy Scale, the Preschoolers' Learning Quality Questionnaire, and the Children's Electronic Media Use Questionnaire. We conducted both variable-centered analyses to test mediation pathways (positive vs. negative electronic media use) and person-centered analyses to identify parental digital self-efficacy profiles and compare their associations with children's learning quality. Results: Variable-centered results showed that parental digital self-efficacy significantly enhanced children's learning quality primarily through promoting positive electronic media use, whereas negative use showed only a weak inhibitory effect; the positive-use pathway explained substantially more variance than the negative-use pathway. Person-centered analyses identified five parental digital self-efficacy profiles (information-limited, low-efficiency and lagging, information-coordinated, well-balanced versatile, and safety-pragmatic). Using the information-limited profile as the reference, the low-efficiency and lagging profile significantly and negatively predicted children's learning quality, whereas the well-balanced versatile profile significantly and positively predicted it; children's electronic media use partially mediated these profile-learning quality associations. Conclusion: Parental digital self-efficacy appears to be a meaningful lever for improving preschoolers' learning quality, largely by fostering children's positive (rather than merely reducing negative) electronic media use; interventions may benefit from targeting specific parental self-efficacy profiles to promote developmentally supportive digital practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Background: Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study investigated how parental digital self-efficacy relates to preschoolers' learning quality and whether children's electronic media use helps explain this association. Methods: Data were collected from 1,484 kindergarten children and their parents using the Parental Digital Self-Efficacy Scale, the Preschoolers' Learning Quality Questionnaire, and the Children's Electronic Media Use Questionnaire. We conducted both variable-centered analyses to test mediation pathways (positive vs. negative electronic media use) and person-centered analyses to identify parental digital self-efficacy profiles and compare their associations with children's learning quality. Results: Variable-centered results showed that parental digital self-efficacy significantly enhanced children's learning quality primarily through promoting positive electronic media use, whereas negative use showed only a weak inhibitory effect; the positive-use pathway explained substantially more variance than the negative-use pathway. Person-centered analyses identified five parental digital self-efficacy profiles (information-limited, low-efficiency and lagging, information-coordinated, well-balanced versatile, and safety-pragmatic). Using the information-limited profile as the reference, the low-efficiency and lagging profile significantly and negatively predicted children's learning quality, whereas the well-balanced versatile profile significantly and positively predicted it; children's electronic media use partially mediated these profile-learning quality associations. Conclusion: Parental digital self-efficacy appears to be a meaningful lever for improving preschoolers' learning quality, largely by fostering children's positive (rather than merely reducing negative) electronic media use; interventions may benefit from targeting specific parental self-efficacy profiles to promote developmentally supportive digital practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:2504284X
DOI:10.3389/feduc.2026.1742963